Tower



2 Sheets-'-Sheet- 1.

I (No Model.)

LA VERNE W. NOYES.

TOWER No. 457,819. Patented Aug 18, 1891.

5/33" WQZ 17222 22201" 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(N0 Modl.)

LA VERNE W. NOYES.

- TOWER Patented Aug. 18, 1891.

fnvenzaf m m UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

' LA VERNE \V. NOYES, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TOWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 457,819, dated August18, 1891.

Application filed April 27, 1891. Serial No. 390,615. (No model.) 7

.To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, LA VERNE W. NoYEs, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, county of Cook, and State of Illinois, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in a Tower, which are fullyset forth in the following specification, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to provide a tower suitableforWindmills, but not limited to such, which may be cheaply and stronglyconstructed out of structural iron, lightness and simplicity being alsoespecially sought.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved tower. Fig.2 is a detail side elevation, on an enlarged scale, of the upper endportion of the tower, showing the joint which is formed between adjacentcorner-irons where they meet at the top. Fig. 3 is a plan of the topend. Fig. 4: is an enlarged section at thelinee 4 on Fig. 1. Fig.5isaper spective of a portion of one corner-post and parts attachedthereto, detail perspective showing the manner of securing the trusstiesto the corner-posts. Fig. 6 shows an elevation of a portion of anupright at the point where the ties are secured. Fig. 7 is a section at7 7 on Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a horizontal section at 8 8 on Fig. 2.

A A A A are four corner standards or uprights of the tower. They aremade of angleiron, and are set with their flanges each in the plane ofthe approximate flange of the adjacent upright A, their anglescoinciding, therefore, with the angles of a rectangle, with I whosesides the flanges coincide, as seen in the plan and horizontal sectionalviews in the drawings. These corner-uprights are inclined toward thevertical axis of the tower, and at their upper ends the edges of theirproximate flanges are notched into each other, as shown in Figs. 1 and2, being provided with corresponding projections and recesses-that is,with recesses between which the original metal stands as a projection.The uprights are even at their upper ends, so that at each of the jointsthus formed between the abutting flanges, one upright has its flangeending with a recess, as a, while the other one has its flange ending ina tooth or projection to. The upright, which has one flange ending inarecess, however, has the other flange,

which makes the joint on the side of the tower adjacent to the sidefirst considered, ending in a tooth, and all the uprights A are therebyrendered just alikethe right-hand flange, for instance, of each endingin a recess to match the tooth which terminates the left-hand flange ofthe adjacent upright at the right, While the left-hand flange terminatesin a tooth to match the notch which terminates the right-hand flange ofthe adjacent upright at the left. The depth of the recesses a and thelength therefore of the projections or teeth a diminishes from the topend of the uprights down, according to the obvious requirements of thecase, and the direction of the notches and teeth is at such angle to thelength of the uprights as necessary in view of the inclination of theuprights to make the teethand notches horizontal when engaged.

The'size of the angle-iron corners A A A A is such as to adapt them whentheir flanges are engaged, as described, to admit within the squarewhich their flanges inclose the sleeve B, through which theoperating-rods from the mill may extend, and outside the said uprights Athere is an inclosing and retaining thimble or ferrule O, which isvertically tapered interiorly to correspond with the inclinations of theuprights A, and, when placed about them, binds them firmly together,forcing their respective teeth and notches into close engagement as itis driven down on the tower. The sleeve B and ferrule C may bespecifically adapted for purposes which relate to the operation of thewindmill or other mechanism which the tower supports; but their specificfeatures for such not be here explained. 7

Within the corner-posts at ashort distance below their top there is therigid frame or plate C, which fits the space defined by the flanges ofthe corner-posts at the level at which such plate is secured, and isbolted fast to them by bolts through the flanges which contact its foursides, respectively. This plate or frame is apertured at the center, andthe lower end of the sleeve B is screwed onto such aperture, whereby thesleeve is upheld. The two corner-uprights A A bounding each side of thetower are joined by the angle-iron horizontal bars D D at intervals inthe height of the tower, such horizontal bars being struts for the trussstructure formed by purposes need the ties hereinafter described. Theyare secured to the corner-uprights by bolts through the flanges of theuprights which are in the plane of that side of the tower to which thebars D respectively pertain and through the vertical flanges of the saidhorizontal bars or struts D. The uprights of each side of the tower arefurther joined by the oblique rods or ties E E, which are braces ortrusses of which the horizontal bars D are the struts. These ties E aremade of iron or steel rod and are bent at the ends at an obtuse angle tothe length, and the out-bent ends 6 are protruded from within thecorner-uprights out through the holes a made in said uprights at theangles or corners thereof. Since each upright A is the boundary for twosides of the tower, each of them receives the ends of the truss rods orties E pertaining to the two sides. In order to afford proper trussingof each side of the tower, two ties must extend from each point offastening of such ties to the corner upright, one obliquely upward andone obliquely downward. I prefer to connect the truss-ties E foradjacent sides of the tower at the same point of the corner-uprightwhich bounds said two sides, since to connect them at different pointswould cause them, when tightened, to tend to bend the corner-uprights bypulling in different directions at different points. There are thereforethe ends of four of the ties E at each point of fastening of any of themto the uprights. I prefer to fasten all four in one and the same hole athrough the angle of the upright, and I secure the ends thus protrudedthrough the upright by one nut E, encirclingthem all,as seen in thedrawings. The ends 6 may be adapted to be secured by running a taparound them after they are protruded through the hole; but it is muchpreferable to prepare them for such fastening before they are actuallyassembled in the tower, and I have found it of advantage, also, to causethe tie ends to become mutually engaged as well as to be engaged by thenut, and for both these reasons I prefer to prepare the ends 6 for thenut by pressing on them a suitable thread, and in the same process Ipress them into the approximately quadrantal shape shown in Fig. 6 andserrate their fiat faces, so that they become mutually engaged at thosefaces when assembled in the hole a and nut.

In order to conveniently make the connection of the braces at the towercorners in the manner above described, it is evident that the holethrough which the end of the braces extend, in order to be boundtogether on the outside by a single nut, must be made through the cornerof the angle-iron corner-posts of the tower. In the process ofmanufacture, the holes in question are most economically made by beingpunched in the iron,and they cannot be made in a clean or workman likemanner either thus or by drilling if the angle is a sharp one, or if, infact, the two flanges of the angle-iron form a perfect angle at thecorner, because the tool, whether a punch or a drill, would have toenter from the inner side of the angle and would emerge through surfacesto which it would be so oblique as to make it almost impossible to cut aclean hole. Furthermore, the nut binding on the outside of such angle orangular corner would not seat securely and could not be set up readily.It is of considerable importance, therefore, that the so-calledangle-iron corner-posts employed shall not have a sharp angle, but shallbe blunted to the extent at least of the diameter of the hole by beingrounded at the corner or angle, as shown in the drawings. The roundedconstruction is desirable, butgenerically, and for the purpose indicatedit is to be considered simply as blunted. It is especially importantthat the exterior corner should not be angular.

This tower, being especially intended to support a windmill from which apitman or other vertically reciprocating rod shall extend down withinthe tower to operate a pump or other mechanism, I have adopted the formof the horizontal bars D to serve a specific purpose in connection withsuch reciprocating rod G, which will be hereinafter referred to as thepump-rod. I make holes cl in the horizontal flanges of some of the barsD, which are far enough down from the top of the tower, so that thewidth of the tower at that level is large relatively to the stroke ofthe pump-rod, and hook into these holes the ends of wire guide or staylinks F, the other ends of which are connected to the pump-rod at apoint which at the middle position of the rod is in the horizontal planeof the bar D, to which it is thus connected. A most convenient mode ofmaking the connection to the pump-rod, which is usually of hard woodabout one inch or one and onefourth inches square, is to bore a holethrough the pump-rod G at the proper point and insert the wire throughit to the middle and then bend the wire on both sides of the rod towardthe side of the tower and bend a suitable hook on each end and hook theends into the holes in the bars D. Preferably the two ends or the endsof the two links, when they are not made of one piece, are connected asfar apart as possible on the bar D, so that they will brace the pump-rodin the vertical plane parallel to the said bar, as well as in thevertical plane at right angles to it. These staylinks are designer]. tostay the pump-rod and prevent it from bending in' its down or pushingstroke, and such links may be employed at several points in the lengthof a long pitman or pump rod, thus practically limiting the lateralbending of the rod to that amount which can occur between theconsecutive points of connection of such stays or between the ends,respectively, of the rod and the nearest such stay.

I claim 1. In a tower, corner-uprights made of angle-iron set inclinedtoward each other and having their flanges correspondingly notched andtoothed and mutually engaged thereby, whereby endwise displacement ofthe corners relatively to each other is prevented, sub-- stantially asset forth.

2. A tower having its corner-uprights made of angle-iron inclined towardeach other and having their flanges correspondingly notched and toothedand mutually engaged thereby at their approximate edges, in combinationwith an encircling band or ferrule by which they are retained inengagement, substantially as set forth.

3. A tower having its corner-uprights made of angle-iron inclined towardeach other and having their flanges correspondingly notched and toothedand mutually engaged thereby at their proximate edges, in combinationwith an interior sleeve or stop-ring to which the flanges of theangle-iron corners are tangent, whereby the joints formed between theengaged flanges are prevented from buckling inward, substantially as setforth.

4. In a tower, four corner-uprights made of right-angle irons, set withtheir angles at the corners of a square pyramid and their flanges in theplanes of the slant sides of apyramid, the edges of the flanges at theupper ends being correspondingly notched and toothed and mutuallyengaged thereby, and a hollow pyramidal ferrule embracing the upper endsof the angle-iron corners to hold them in engagement, substantially asset forth.

5. In combination with the angle-iron corner-uprights having theirflanges respectively correspondingly toothed and notched and mutuallyengaged thereby, the interior sleeve to which the flanges are tangentand the exterior ferrule binding the angles, substantially as set forth.

6. In combination with the angle-iron corner -uprights having theirflanges respectively correspondingly toothed and notched and mutuallyengaged thereby, the rigid frame or plate 0 interior to the corner-postsand contacting their-flanges and bolted thereto, whereby they are keptfrom spreading, substantially as set forth.

7. In combination with the angle-iron corner-uprights having theirflanges respectively correspondingly toothed and notched and mutuallyengaged thereby, the interior sleeve to which the flanges are tangent,and the rigid frame or plate 0 interior to the corner-posts andextending onto their angles, respectively, and bolted thereto,substantially as set forth.

8. In a tower, the angle-iron corner-up rights, and the ties by whichthe uprights of each side are trussed together,-such ties being securedto the uprights by having their ends bent out and inserted outwardthrough the uprights at the corner and secured outside such corner by anut, said angle-iron uprights having their angles rounded or blunted,substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

9. In a tower, in combination with corneruprights, the ties or struts bywhich the uprights of each side are trussed together, the tiespertaining to adjacent sides diverging from the same points of theintervening corner-uprights, all four of the ties at each such pointhaving their ends protruded together through the upright and securedby anut encircling them all, substantially as set forth.

10. Ina tower,in combination with corneruprights, the ties and struts bywhich the uprights of each side are trussed together, the tiespertaining to adjacent sides diverging from the same points ofintervening corneruprights, said corner-uprights being made of angle-iron having the angle rounded or blunted, all four of the ties at thepoint from which the same diverge having their ends protruded togetherthrough the upright and secured by a nut encircling them all and adaptedto be jammed against the (we r blunt angle of the corner-upright,substantially as set forth.

11. In a tower, in combination with corneruprights, the ties and strutsby which the u p rights of each side are trussed together, the tiespertaining to adjacent sides diverging from the same points of theintervening corner-uprights, all four of the ties at each such pointhaving their ends protruded together through the upright and serrated ontheir contacting surfaces, whereby they areadapted to be mutuallyengaged, substantially as set forth.

12. In a tower, in combination with corneruprights, the ties and strutsby which the uprights of each side are. trussed together, the tiespertaining to adjacent sides diverging from the same points of theintervening corner-uprights, all four of the ties at each such pointhaving their ends protruded together through the upright and flattenedat their contacting surfaces, whereby they are approximately quadrantalin cross-section, substantially as set forth.

13. In combination with the tower-frame and the pitman arranged to bereciprocated vertically within the same, the horizontal guide-linkspivotally connected at one end to the pitman and at the other end to thetowerframe, substantially as set forth.

14. In combination with the tower-frame having horizontal bars ofangle-iron, the pitman arranged to be reciprocated vertically within thetower, and horizontal guide or stay links pivotally connected at one endto the pitman and at the other end hooked through holes in one flange ofthe angle-iron bars, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand,at Chicago, Illinois,in the presence 01; two witnesses, this 22d day of April, A. D. 1 91.

LA VERNE IV. N OYES.

Witnesses:

THOMAS O. PERRY, R. R. BAILEY.

